Cloud Licensing allows GitLab customers to activate paid subscription features on self-managed instances using an activation code, rather than managing license files and manually uploading them into their instance. By activating through Cloud Licensing, a customer’s GitLab instance will periodically synchronize Subscription Data with GitLab.
In order to further encourage Cloud Licensing, the Strict Cloud Licensing project will include several iterations to encourage customers to use Cloud License activation codes rather than a Legacy License file to activate their self-managed instances. The following GitLab internal licensing terms page provides a technical definition of the current three types of licenses (Cloud Licensing, Offline and Legacy) associated with Cloud Licensing.
Effective July 7, 2022: Cloud Licensing will be enabled by default for all new and renewal customers, as detailed in the Strict Cloud Licensing roll out plan (except OSS, EDU or Start-Up products). Customers will no longer have the ability to download a license file from the Customers Portal. In addition, Offline licenses will now be available to allow customers with air-gapped or offline instances to receive the benefits of Cloud Licensing. In order to receive a Legacy License or Offline License, customers will need to follow the below outlined process.
NOTE: This only applies to standard and resold customers.
Customers who cannot activate with Cloud Licensing will need to obtain either an Offline Cloud License or a Legacy License. If this process is handled correctly at time of sale, no Support involvement is required.
By default, the TurnOnCloudLicensing__c flag in SFDC will be set to Yes on every quote during the sales cycle. If the Sales Rep wants to opt the customer out, they should update the quote field [Cloud Lic] Add Cloud Licensing Opt Out to either Legacy License File or Offline License. This in turn updates the value of TurnOnCloudLicensing to No or Offline respectively. Once the quote is submitted, Sales VP approval is required via the standard SFDC approval process. Once approved, the quote is synced to Zuora, which in turn creates and activates the subscription. In this scenario, the customer will receive their activation email with their license file attached and will also have the ability to download the license file from the GitLab Customers portal.
The above defined sales-initiated exemption process is intended to be the only means of opt out and should be used for all customers. However, there may be occurrences where a sales rep missed opting a customer out during the sale, and the customer has now incorrectly received a Cloud License activation code they cannot use.
In a situation where a customer requires a Legacy License or a Offline License post-sale, the customer must first reach out to their sales account manager for them to open an Internal Request with Support. The customer's sales account manager will then need to obtain sales VP approval for a Cloud Licensing exemption in order for L&R support to be able to process the internal request and provide the customer with the required license file. If an emergency situation occurs where the customer requires access during the approval process, a support engineer should provide the customer with a trial license until approval is received. Once approved, the correct license type can be issued to the customer.
If approved, the support engineer will need to first update the Cloud Licensing flag within CustomersDot's Admin.
Under "admin/customer/CUSTOMER_ID/zuora_subscriptions", the flag needs to be set to either "Offline" or "No", as shown in the screenshot below.
The matrix below defines the impact of setting the Cloud Licensing flag value to Yes, Offline or No on the eligibility of three license types.
| Cloud Licensing Flag value | Cloud License | Offline Cloud | Legacy License |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Eligible | Not Eligible | Eligible |
| Offline | Eligible | Eligible | Not Eligible |
| No | Eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
Once updated, the support engineer should then generate the license manually by impersonating the customer and selecting Download license file from the "Manage Purchases" view. Using this method will ensure all license details are auto-populated correctly. Note that the download license option will only be visible after the Cloud Licensing flag has been updated.
Once these steps are completed, please be sure to flag the ZenDesk ticket using the above macro to ensure these missed approvals are being tracked appropriately.
Knowing whether to provide an Offline or Legacy License will depend on the customer's specific scenario and what they request, but the following may be helpful:
Reseller customers should be directed to sales as well using the same process.
For more information on Cloud Licensing, please refer to the following resources:
Have a question that hasn't been answered in the documentation? Add it to our Cloud Licensing AMA doc (internal only)!